Never Give Up
by beccablue64
Summary: Daryl has lost everything: his wife, his daughter and his brother. Is there anything left in this world to live for? Quickly covers seasons 1-5 with main story taking place in Alexandria. Will somewhat follow TV storyline, but will have several changes. Rated M for language, violence and eventually all the glory that is Daryl Dixon.
1. Intro

**Never Give Up**

 **This is something that I've been playing around with. I feel I need to start prior to Season 1 to establish the relationships, however, I don't want this to be a retelling of the TV Show. If you're reading this, you've seen the show and you know what happens. But I would like for the bulk of the story to happen once our fearless group makes it to Alexandria.**

 **I do not own anything related to The Walking Dead (no matter how much I wish I did).**

Introduction

 _Pre-Apocalypse_

 _"Daryl, babe," Stella gently shook her husband trying to wake him up without startling him. The only response she received was a slightly louder snore._

 _"Daryl, wake up," she said a little louder, shaking a little harder._

 _"Huh? What?" a groggy Daryl sat up rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong?"_

 _"Babe, it's time," Stella said._

 _"Oh, shit!" That got Daryl up and moving._

 _He quickly began getting dress while helping his wife get ready. He grabbed the duffle bag that had been packed, sitting in their closet for the past week. He laced up his boots and grabbed Stella's hand, putting one arm around her._

 _"You doin' ok?" he asked, a slight panic in his voice, as they made their way down the hall towards the front door._

 _"Uh huh," she managed to get out. At that moment a contraction hit her hard. "Holy fuck!" Stella screamed as she bent over grabbing her belly. "Sonovabitch!"_

 _Daryl walked her to the passenger side of his truck, opened the door and helped her in. He climbed into the driver's side and fumbled with the keys for a second before starting the engine._

 _"We'll be at the hospital in 10 minutes," he tried to reassure her._

 _Stella's face was scrunched up and her breathing was coming in quick short breaths._

 _"Just hurry!"_

 _As Daryl drove like a bat out of hell through the empty streets of Atlanta, he called the hospital to let them know they were on the way. He then called the only family he had left, his brother, Merle and prayed he wasn't holed up with some bar floosy drunk as a skunk._

 _"Merle, me an' Stella are on our way to the hospital. Yeah, yeah, e'vrything's fine. She's goin' inta labor," was all Daryl got out before Stella let out another howl._

 _"I swear, it's going to be a cold day in hell before I EVER let you touch me again!" Stella hollered, making Daryl wince._

 _He had heard horror stories from the men at the garage he worked at about how their wives turned into full fledge demons when they went into labor. He knew she didn't mean what she'd said; she was just in pain…a lot of pain._

 _They finally arrived at the hospital. Daryl quickly jumped out of the truck and ran over to help Stella out. An orderly was already there with a wheelchair to escort them to the maternity ward._

 _"So how are we doing Mrs. Dixon," the doctor said when he entered the room. The nurses had already gotten Stella settled in a room and had the heart monitor strapped around her belly._

 _"How do you think I'm doing, doctor? I have a human being trying to rips it's way out of me through a small hole that nothing that size should physically be able to get through!" Her voice got louder with each word. "Now where is my epidural?"_

 _The doctor quickly got the nurse back in to administer the drug. As soon as the needle left her back, Stella instantly began to relax. Within 20 minutes, she was high as a kite._

 _"Daryl," she slurred. "I can't feel my legs. Are they still there?" she asked._

 _"Yeah baby, there still there," he said as he tried to stifle a laugh._

 _"Where's my favorite sister-in-law?" boomed a loud voice towards the door._

 _"Merle!" Stella exclaimed. "Get over here and give me a hug." She reached out her arms, motioning for Daryl's brother to come to her. "I love you, Merle," she said as she wrapped her arms around the older Dixon's neck._

 _"Whew-whee, darlin'" Merle began. "I do believe you're three sheets to the wind."_

 _The doctor came in to check to see how Stella was doing. When he said it was time to start pushing, Merle quickly excused himself. "Don't want ta be seein' all that," he said, waggling his eyebrows at Daryl as he left the room._

 _It had been a long 12 hours. Twelve hours of Stella pushing, cursing, threatening Daryl and his man parts, but after those 12 hours, Daryl was standing there with this little bundled in his arms. He couldn't believe there was anything else on this earth that he could love as much as Stella, but here was little Maddie, wrapped up a pink blanket with a pink cap on her head. He tried to blink away the tears forming in his eyes, but one managed to escape and fall down his cheek._

 _"How is she?" Stella asked, her voice hoarse from screaming her obscenities and from pure exhaustion._

 _"_ _She's beautiful, just like her mother," Daryl said as he bent down and kissed his wife._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Daryl jumped suddenly, startling himself awake. He looked around, panicking when he didn't recognize where he was. _Where am I? Where's Stella? Where's Maddie?_ As the last remnants of sleep began clearing his brain, he began to recognize his surroundings. He looked over and saw his brother Merle asleep on the other side of the tent, snoring like a bear. Daryl rubbed his face and got dressed.

 _Might as well do something useful._ Daryl thought to himself. He stepped out of the tent and shivered against the cool morning air. Although the air at dawn was cool, he knew by lunchtime it would be sweltering out here. He grabbed his crossbow and headed into the woods to hunt.

It had been about a week since Daryl had last dreamt of his wife and daughter. He had no idea if they were alive or not. He had been out hunting with Merle when everything happened. Hell, he didn't even know the dead were walking around eating the living. He had heard some stuff on the news, but none of it seemed real. It reminded him of all the alien and UFO sightings that were splashed over the papers that his mom used to read. He and Merle had been in a remote area of the woods for a few days, couldn't even get cell reception that far out.

When Daryl and Merle made their way back home from hunting, that's when they noticed something was really wrong. They came to a stoplight and saw a young man gnawing on the face of an older man.

 _Stella_ was all Daryl could think about. Maddie had been out of kindergarten for spring break that week, so Stella had taken off work to stay home with her. Daryl rushed to the house to find that it was ransacked and empty. He looked all through the house, looking for some type of sign, a note or something that would give him some type of idea of where she would be going.

Daryl walked through the woods, not really paying attention to the wildlife around him. He just kept replaying that day over and over in his mind.

 _"We need to get goin' baby brother," Merle yelled._

 _Daryl was frantically running through the house. "STELLA! MADDIE!" He looked in every room, closet, under the beds, even in the attack. Nothing._

 _"I'm not leaving without my family," Daryl said through clinched teeth._

 _"They're not here," said Merle. "We'll look for 'em. We'll find 'em."_

 _Merle didn't want to let on that he was scared shitless as well. He could see that Daryl was barely holding it together. Merle may not be the best brother around, but damn it, he did care about Daryl, Stella and Maddie. They were the only family that he had and the only ones that put up with his shit._

 _They went to the restaurant that Stella worked at. Nothing. The restaurant was empty. They went to Joanne's house, one of Stella's co-workers. Again, nothing. They heard on the radio about a refugee center in the city._

 _"Maybe they're headed there," Merle said, trying to come up with something to ease his brother's mind._

 _Daryl kept trying to call Stella's cell, but all he got was silence._

 _"Shit!" Daryl yelled as he threw his cell phone down into the floorboard of the truck._

 _"Look, Daryl," Merle began. "We'll go back to your place, take another look around and grab anything that can be of use. We don't know what all we're in for with this shit."_

 _Daryl nodded._

 _They got back to the house and walked in. All of the camping equipment was already loaded in the truck from their trip. Merle walked into the kitchen and began grabbing any canned and non-perishable foods that he could find. Daryl went into his bedroom and filled a bag up with clothes. He then went to Maddie's room and packed a bag of her things. He noticed the stuffed Pooh bear that he had given her for her 3_ _rd_ _birthday. He sat on the edge of her bed, holding the bear in his hands and began to cry._

 _Merle walked in looking at his brother._

 _"She never goes anywhere without this," Daryl said. "It's her favorite."_

 _Merle walked over to Daryl and laid a hand on his shoulder._

 _"We'll find 'em, baby brother. We will."_

Daryl snapped out of his memories and wiped the lone tear that fell. He continued off into the woods looking for anything they could eat. He ended up bagging five squirrels and a rabbit before making his way back to the camp that he and Merle shared with about 20 other people.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Daryl was all alone now. Merle was missing. Shot his mouth off and got himself handcuffed on a roof in the city. When Daryl and a few others went back to look for him, he was gone, minus a hand. Now Daryl was following this group of strangers to the CDC. Daryl knew this was a mistake. They weren't going to find anything at the CDC. But the copper thought it was the right choice.

Daryl didn't want to go back into the city. He hadn't been there since the shit hit the fan and he and Merle were trying to get to the refugee center to find his wife and daughter. It seemed everyone in the state of Georgia was on that highway heading into the city that night. Now the highway was just littered with abandoned cars.

Daryl could still hear the fighter jets as they flew over the stand-stilled traffic. What Daryl saw next would be forever etched in his brain. He witnessed the jets bomb the city. All of those people down there, dead. Stella was probably down there waiting for him to come. His little girl was probably down there waiting for her daddy to come protect her.

The group made it to the CDC and met the one doctor left there. _Hell, at least there's whiskey,_ Daryl thought. Yep, he was getting shitfaced tonight, hoping to just pass out with no dreams or memories to keep him awake.

Well that turned out to be a bad idea. The alcohol made him long for his family even more. He felt useless. Here he was with a group of strangers, his brother missing, his family most likely dead, and he was tossing back a bottle of whiskey like it was water. Stella hated it when he got drunk. She said he acted like Merle when he was drunk. Daryl wasn't as mean as Merle, but when he was drunk he did have the tendency to become belligerent.

He didn't do it often and certainly didn't do it once Maddie was born. But in the beginning of their relationship, Daryl was so insecure and battling his demons, sometimes a bottle of Jack would do him right.

Daryl woke the next morning with a hangover to end all hangovers. He didn't have time to fill too bad though as it turned out the CDC was going to blow itself up and they had to hightail it out of there.

So they were out on the road again, with no destination in mind. Daryl did not want to be with these people. The copper, Rick had been reunited with his wife, Lori and son, Carl. Daryl hated Rick. He hated the fact that he was able to find his family while Daryl was left alone, without his. Shane was a ticking time bomb. Daryl knew that Shane had been fucking Lori. He saw them in the woods one day while he was out hunting. Now with Rick back in the picture, Shane was biding his time until he went completely off the reservation.

T-Dog was the idiot that dropped the key to the handcuffs that had his brother tied to that roof. Dale was just some old fart that kept sticking his nose in everyone's business. Carol was about as useless as he was. She couldn't do anything without her asshole husband telling her what to do. Now that he was dead, Daryl thought she might end up having a nervous breakdown. And Andrea, good Lord, that bitch got on his last nerve.

So here he was, with a group that even the Island of Misfit Toys wouldn't take in. He chuckled a bit. He and Maddie would watch Rudolph every Christmas. When the abominable snowman would come on the screen, she would jump into his lap and bury her head in his chest.

 _"Maddie, there's nothing to be scared of. You've seen this a million times. You know he doesn't hurt anyone. And besides, abominable snowmen aren't real."_

 _"I know that Daddy, but he still scares me," she said looking up at Daryl with those big blue eyes of hers._

Daryl heard a woman scream. _Great, now what?_ He thought to himself annoyed.

Carol's daughter, Sophia was being chased by two walkers and ran off into the woods. Now the little girl was lost. Daryl, Rick and Glenn went to look for her, but came back empty handed.

Now Daryl was stuck on a farm with even more people he didn't want to be around, looking for this little girl. He even got pierced through his side with one of his own arrows when he fell off a horse and got shot in the same day. He wasn't giving up though. He was going to find this girl. He had failed his own little girl, but he wasn't going to fail Sophia.

But like everything else in Daryl's life, it all went to shit. He couldn't believe what he was seeing as the little girl came out of the barn, eyes cloudy and skin grey except for the big red bite mark on her neck.

Daryl couldn't take it anymore. He moved his tent away from the others. He just needed to be alone. Not being able to do right by Sophia stirred up all of these emotions from letting his own little girl down.

He was sitting on a tree stump by his small campfire, looking the picture he always carried with him. It was taken at Easter when Maddie was just a year old. Stella thought it would be cute to take her picture with bunny ears on. Daryl thought it was stupid, but he along with it for her. God, he would do anything for that woman.

Merle had snapped the picture. Maddie was in an onesie with bunnies on it and a headband with bunny ears. Stella was in a pair of shorts, her long tan legs tucked underneath her as she sat on the floor with Maddie in her lap. Her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders and her green eyes sparkling as she looked at their daughter. Her mouth was open in laughter. Daryl was sitting beside Stella, trying to get Maddie to look at the camera, a big ol' stupid grin on his face.

Daryl was so enthralled with the picture that he didn't hear Carol walk up on him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, startling Daryl back into the now.

"None of your business," he said rather rudely rising from his seat, putting the picture back in his pocket.

"Don't do this. Don't distance yourself from the group. You've earned your place here, with them," Carol said.

"Why don't y'all just leave me be?" Daryl said, his voice rising in anger. "Y'all ain't my concern. You ain't my problem. Your little girl wasn't my problem. If you had just kept your damn eye on her, Maddie would still be here," Daryl yelled, not realizing his slip up.

"Who's Maddie," Carol asked, trying to fight back the tears from Daryl's outburst.

Daryl just sunk back down on the stump he had been sitting on earlier.

"Is she the baby in the picture?" Carol questioned. "Is she your daughter?"

"Was my daughter," he said barely above a whisper.

"Daryl, I'm so sorry," Carol said with genuine sympathy in her voice.

Daryl couldn't hold it in any more. Tears streamed down his face as he put his head in his hands. Carol sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn't say anything. She just sat there and listened as Daryl wept.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Carol did not tell anyone about that night. Daryl ended up telling her about Stella and Maddie. He told her what happened, that they were probably dead. After that night though, Daryl seemed to relax a little around the group. It was like he had been carrying this huge weight around and keeping it hidden was eating him up. Once he let everything out, he felt that weight lessen a little.

Carol became a good friend. She started to come out of her shell also and turned into a pretty badass fighter. They both had similar lives, living with abuse from someone that should've loved them: Carol from her husband, Ed, Daryl from his father. And they both knew what it was like to lose a child.

Daryl knew that Carol wanted more from him, but he could not do that. He would never love another woman like he loved Stella. She was still so much a part of him. So he and Carol were just friends.

Daryl started becoming closer to Rick as well. They began developing a brotherly bond since Shane's death. Daryl was right. That ticking time bomb did finally detonate when he tried to kill Rick. That was the night that the farm got overrun with walkers and they had to run.

After a mild winter, the group found a prison that they managed to turn into a home. Daryl shocked everyone when his fatherly instincts came out when Lori had her baby. Holding Lil' Asskicker in his arms reminded him of the night Maddie was born. Although this wasn't his child, he vowed that night to protect as if she was.

Things were going pretty good at the prison, well, pretty good for it to be the end of the world. As the days went by, the pain Daryl felt of losing his family lessened. He never forgot about them and still dreamt of them from time to time, but he was starting to live his life out of that shadow of grief.

It wasn't until the prison was attacked by this psycho that called himself The Governor and Daryl was separated from the group that the grief started to come back. He had been on the run with Beth, Maggie's little sister from the farm. They found shelter in an old moonshine shack. Daryl was feeling really low that day, feeling responsible for the prison attack, and not being able to keep everyone safe. He got drunk that night off of some moonshine that he and Beth found.

He ended up telling Beth about his wife and daughter. So far, only Carol knew about them, but Rick was starting to have his suspicions that Daryl had once had a family. Beth, being the naïve optimist that she was tried to give Daryl hope that one day he would find them.

Beth's optimism ended up getting her kidnapped and killed. Daryl lost all hope of ever having any good come out of this world now. His family was gone, the home that they made for themselves was gone and they had lost some good people, people that Daryl would call friends. Daryl was so tired of losing people. Each time someone died it was like a piece of him died with them.

 **I know I just went through like 5 seasons in just 3 chapters, but like I said at the beginning, I want the bulk of the story to happen once they get to Alexandria.**

 **I also realize I skipped over Merle's re-appearance and subsequent death. I'm not sure if he'll be back in this story or not. I kind of want him to, because I love the idea of Uncle Merle.**

 **Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this. I'm sure once I start re-reading it I'll make some changes. If I do, I will notate at the beginning of the chapter if it's been re-written or not.**

 **Again, comments are always welcome!**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Daryl was extremely tense as they walked through the gates of Alexandria. He did not fully trust Aaron, but if Rick was willing to give it a shot, so would he. He couldn't believe the houses here. They were more like mansions. He thought about Stella and Maddie living in a place like this. He had always wanted to give them a nice home, nicer that the crappy 2-bedroom box they used to live in. Stella deserved the best of everything. That's why he never understood why she had been with someone like him.

As Daryl laid on the floor in the living room of one of the two houses that had been assigned to Rick and his group, he thought back to all of the times he tried to push Stella away. He even broke up with her once, too scared to wait for the day that she would come to her senses and leave him on her own accord.

 _"You're breaking up with me," Stella said through her tears. "Why, did I do something?"_

 _What was Daryl supposed to say? He had never broken up with a girl before. Hell, he didn't want to break up with her, but he knew she deserved better. He knew she would realize the mistake she made by being with him and run for the hills. She was way too good for him. Seeing the hurt in her eyes now broke his heart. But he had to do it._

 _"No, Stella, you didn't do anything." What did Merle always say when he broke up with a girl? "I've met someone else."_

 _Ooh, that stung. Stella couldn't believe that this man standing here, this man that she was in love with would go off with someone else. He had been so shy when they first got together. It was a month into their relationship before he even tried to kiss her. Now he's telling her he just up and met someone else._

 _"That's bullshit," she said. "That's a coward's excuse. You didn't meet anyone else. When would you have met this mysterious bitch?" Stella was mad now. She knew what he was doing. "We spend all of our time together and this is a small town. I, along with everybody else would know if you had 'met someone else'."_

 _"Stella, let's not do this. I just don't want to be with you anymore. That's it," Daryl said, trying to sound convincing._

 _"You give me one good reason why," she argued. She knew if she got him riled up, he would fly off the handle and express his true feelings. That was one thing about Daryl, he kept everything bottled up until he was ready to explode._

 _"I just can't do this anymore," he said, his voice getting louder._

 _"Why?" she shot back, knowing he was close to breaking._

 _"BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!" he screamed. "I am not good enough for you. You deserve to be with someone that doesn't have a junky for a brother, someone who's father didn't use him for a whipping post just for kicks, someone that doesn't work in a shitty garage doin oil changes."_

 _"None of that matters to me and you know it!" she said. "The only thing I want is someone to love who will love me back. To hell with all of the rest."_

 _Daryl was fighting back the tears now as well._

 _"Are you saying that you love me?" he asked in a softer voice._

 _"I guess I am, you big jerk," she said, the anger gone from her voice._

 _Daryl walked up to her and grabbed her face. He planted a hard kiss on her lips, one that she returned equally as hard. When he pulled away her lips were red and swollen._

 _They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, their foreheads pressed against one another. Stella had her arms wrapped around his waist and Daryl had his hands on her shoulders._

 _"I love you too," he finally said._

 _"Daryl, all I need is you," Stella told him, looking up into his crystal blue eyes. "And if you ever pull this shit again, I will kick your ass," she added with a smirk._

 _"Yes ma'am," he replied._

Stella had moved in with him shortly after that fight. After a couple of years of living together, he finally realized that she wasn't going to leave him that she was in it for the long haul. That's when he asked her to marry him. A year later they had Maddie.

Daryl sighed. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He got up and walked out on the front porch. He was surprised to see Rick out there.

"E'vrything ok?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep," Rick replied.

"Yeah, know the feeling," Daryl said.

They both sat out there in silence until the sun started to peak over the horizon.

Meanwhile, in the house across the street, a woman was lying in her bed staring at the ceiling. She had heard that a new group had moved in across the street. It concerned her a bit as this was larger than any group Deanna had let in here before. She was worried for the safety of her daughter. They had been living here for several months now and she was now just beginning to relax a little.

 _God, I hope they don't cause any problems_ she thought to herself as she finally drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Daryl had mostly kept to himself those first couple of days in Alexandria. The group had finally split into the two houses that were next door to each other instead of all of them staying one house. Daryl now had his own room in the house that he shared with Rick, Michonne, Carol, Carl and Lil' Asskicker. He couldn't believe how fast she was growing. She was just beginning to walk around while holding on to something. She hadn't quite ventured out on her own yet.

He and Rick were walking to see Aaron when a group of kids came out of one of the houses down the street. Deanna had said that the house was being used as a school and that she expected to see Carl there once they got settled in.

"Man, it still feels like this is a dream," Daryl said.

"Yeah, it does. These people have no idea what it's like out there," Rick said.

As Daryl was watching the children head off to their respective homes, he couldn't help but notice a woman and a little girl. The woman must be a teacher or something because all of the kids waved goodbye to her as they left. His stomach fluttered a bit when he saw her chestnut hair blow gently in the wind. She was wearing a beige skirt and short sleeve pink top. She was bending down talking to the little girl, who looked to be around 6, maybe 7 years old. She had the same long brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Daryl, are you ok?" Rick asked when he noticed his friend was no longer walking beside him.

Daryl was frozen. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare at this woman and child. His heart started racing and he was having trouble catching his breath.

"Daryl!" Rick said waving his hand in front of Daryl's face, trying to get him to snap out of the trance that he was in.

The woman rose with the uneasy feeling that someone was watching her. She saw the two men a little ways down the road. One of them was staring intensely at her.

Daryl turned to look at Rick briefly before turning his attention back to the woman.

"Mommy," said the little girl. "That man has wings on his back like Daddy."

"Maddie, sweatheart," Stella said to her daughter, her voice shaky with emotion. "I think that is your Daddy."

Stella took Maddie's hand and they made a few tentative steps towards the two men. Rick was standing there, not knowing what was going on, but evidently Daryl knew this woman. And from the shocked look on his face, he didn't think he would ever see this woman again.

When Stella and Maddie got a little closer, Daryl knew for sure that it was them. He just didn't know if they were real or not. He had imagined seeing them before, at the beginning. He thought he'd seen them running behind a tree when he was out hunting. When he got to the spot where he saw them, there was nothing there. That hadn't happened to him in a long time. So why would he be imagining that they were here, now?

Stella began to tremble. She knew that she was looking at her husband. His hair was longer and he was leaner than she remembered, but it was definitely him. Maddie realized it too. She yanked her hand away from her mother and took off as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"Daddy!" she yelled as she ran up to him.

At that moment, at the sound of his daughter's voice, Daryl collapsed to the ground on his knees. Maddie jumped up into his arms and wrapped her little ones around his neck. Daryl held his little girl as she sobbed into his neck.

"I missed you so much, Daddy," she said in between sobs.

Daryl pulled her back a little so he could get a good look at her. No, this was no hallucination. This was real. "I missed you too, possum," he said, calling her by the nickname he had given her because she would always play possum when it was time to get up.

"Daryl," Stella said almost as a question when she reached the two.

Daryl stood up, still not letting go of Maddie and looked into his wife's eyes. She still had those beautiful sparkling green eyes.

He held Maddie in one arm and grabbed Stella with the other burying his head in her hair. She still smelled as he remembered. He held both of them tight, never wanting to let go. After almost 2 years of thinking that he had lost them both, here he was, standing in some fancy gated community in Alexandria, VA holding onto his family.

 **I love reunions!**

 **Yes, we will learn what happened to Stella and Maddie when the world went to shit. Working out some ideas as we speak.**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Maddie, sweetie, why don't you go up to your room and get your homework done while I fix dinner," Stella said as they entered the house. She and Maddie had been able to stay in a house by themselves since there were so many vacant ones.

"Ok, Momma," Maddie said. "Daddy, are you going to be here for dinner?"

Daryl was still in shock. He hadn't moved from the entryway since they got there. All he could do was stare at his wife and daughter, still not quite believing that this was real.

"Yeah, baby, I'll be here," he said, looking to Stella for confirmation. She gave him a small nod.

"Great!" Maddie exclaimed. "I want to show you my room and the pictures that I drew for you."

"After dinner," Stella said. Maddie bounded up the stairs to her room leaving her parents alone in the living room.

It was awkward. Neither of them knowing what to do or say. Both thinking they would never see the other and yet, here they were. So much had changed during the time they were apart, they had changed.

Stella cautiously walked over to Daryl. He looked like a scared rabbit. She used to see that look all of the time when they first started dating, like he could take off at any moment. She took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

"I have to get dinner started," she said.

He nodded in understanding and perched himself on one of the bar stools.

Stella was so frazzled; she opted to make something simple for dinner for fear of burning the house down. She placed spaghetti noodles in a big pot of water and opened a jar of sauce to toss into another pot.

As the noodles were cooking and the sauce was simmering, she walked around the bar to sit next to Daryl, but he grabbed her before she could sit, surprising her, and pulled her into him.

"I can't believe y'all are here," he said barely above a whisper as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I thought I'd lost ya."

"I know," Stella said, just as quietly, fighting back the tears that were trying to escape. "I thought the same thing."

"Mom!" Maddie yelled as she was coming down stairs. "I finished my homework." Daryl and Stella pulled apart at the sound of the little girl entering the kitchen. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," Stella said. "Why don't you go wash up and set the table?"

They ate in silence, well, Daryl and Stella did. Maddie barely stopped talking long enough to chew her food. She was telling Daryl all about Alexandria and her friend, Jennifer. Daryl gave a few nods and grunts during his daughter's stories, stealing glances at Stella when he could.

Stella kept looking back and forth between Daryl and Maddie. Maddie had become so much like her father even though she hadn't been around him for a while. She talked with her hands when she was excited like him. She would rather play outside and get filthy than do "girlie" things. And she had his piercing blue eyes that held a lot of pain like his. She didn't have the wide eyes of a child anymore even though she was just 7. Stella's heart broke every time she looked into those eyes and think about the childhood that Maddie would never be able to have.

"Are you done, sweetie?" she asked, stopping Maddie in mid sentence.

"Yes, ma'am," the little girl replied.

"Go get ready for bed," Stella instructed. "I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

"Daddy, will you come read me a story?" Maddie asked, looking up at her father as they stood from the table.

"Of course I will," Daryl said. Maddie quickly grabbed his hand and began pulling him up the stairs to her room.

Stella cleared the table and washed the dishes. After looking around to make sure everything had been put away, she turned off the light and made her way upstairs. She was exhausted. She was always amazed at how emotions could drain her energy more than any physical labor.

She walked into Maddie's room and saw Maddie on her bed, snuggled into Daryl's side as he was reading from a book. She could tell by how droopy Maddie's eyes were that she would not be awake much longer. Stella walked over and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Goodnight, possum," she said and gave her a smile.

"Goodnight, Momma."

Daryl went back to the book. Stella turned to look at them once more before she left the room. Her heart swelled at the sight of them. She went into her own bedroom and changed into her pajama pants and tank top. That's when it hit her. She sat on the bed and the tears began to fall. She tried so hard to be strong for Maddie over the past year and a half. She always tried to have hope that Daryl was out there somewhere, but seeing him today, she realized that she had lost that hope and it hit her like a ton of bricks.

She heard Daryl coming down the hall and she tried to reign in her sobs. He came into her room and sat next to her on the bed. He knew she had been crying. He reached over and placed his hand over hers. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her breathing.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Daryl said.

"Will you stay?" she asked looking up at him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

Stella crawled under the covers as Daryl got undressed down to his underwear. He crawled in behind her pulling her flush against his chest with his arm wrapped around her waist. She pulled his hand up under her chin as if his arm were a security blanket and closed her eyes.

As Daryl held her, he knew they needed to talk. He had to know what all they'd been through. But for now, he was content with just holding her, feeling her body against his, hearing her breathing softly as she fell asleep. He had his family back. And with that, he drifted into his own sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Momma, Daddy, wake up!" Maddie yelled as she jumped on top of her parents in bed.

"Madison, do you have any idea what time it is? You don't have school today," Stella said her voice gravelly from sleep.

"I know, but you said I could go over to Jennifer's today," Maddie said, still bouncing on the bed.

"Ok, ok, I'm getting up," Stella groaned. She looked over at Daryl who was pretending to still be asleep, but she could see the slight smirk starting to form on his lips. "Some things never change," she said shaking her head.

"Go get dressed and brush your teeth. I'll get your breakfast ready."

Stella had told Maddie that she could spend the day with Jennifer and her mom, Olivia. She would sometimes go over there so Stella could have a break.

Maddie came down the stairs dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She sat at the table and ate her oatmeal. Daryl came down the stairs a little later. He had gotten dressed as well.

"What are you doing today?" he asked Stella.

"I was actually just going to have a relaxing day," Stella replied. "But I thought we could use the time to talk," she said a little more quietly.

"K," Daryl nodded. "I'm going to run over to Rick's and let him know what's going on. See you in a bit?" he asked wrapping her into a hug.

"That's fine," she said, trying not to pay attention to the butterflies in her stomach.

"You be a good girl for Jennifer's mom, ya hear?" Daryl said walking over to Maddie to give her a kiss on top of her head.

"Yes, sir," she replied with a mouth full of oatmeal.

Daryl left and walked across the street to the house that he had been sharing with Rick, Carl, Michonne and Carol. He stopped at the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. Carol was the only one he ever told about Stella and Maddie. Now obviously Rick knows about them. Everyone else was in the dark. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"Let's get this over with," he said to himself and opened the door.

"Dude! You have a wife and kid?" Glenn was the first to pounce. Everyone had been in the living room when he came in. It looked like they had all been waiting for him.

"Yeah," Daryl gruffed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Maggie was next.

"I didn't want no one knowing my business," he said.

"But we're family," she said.

"I didn't know if they had made it or not," Daryl said. "I just didn't want to talk about it."

Everyone seemed to understand and gave nods and smiles.

"So when do we get to meet this fine woman?" Abraham asked.

"I don't know. Got some things to talk about, ya know?" Daryl replied. "That's why I came over. Maddie is staying with a friend today, so Stella and I can talk."

"Yeah, that's what you'll be doing alright," Abraham grinned. "Talk," he said making quotations in the air with his fingers.

Daryl felt the blush creeping up his neck and quickly headed up the stairs to his room to grab a few things. As he was getting ready to leave, he heard Abraham yell, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" followed by laughing.

Rick walked him out and stood on the porch with him while Daryl smoked a cigarette.

"Daryl, I'm real glad you've got your family back," he began. "I really would like for them to be a part of our family. I'll make sure everyone here behaves whenever you're ready."

Daryl just nodded.

"Give us a few days, alright?" Daryl said as he stubbed the butt of the cigarette out with his boot.

"Anything you need," Rick said, clapping his hand on Daryl's back.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daryl walked back over to Stella's house. He stood at the front door for a moment. _Should I go ahead and walk in? This isn't really my house. Would that be weird? Or should I just knock?_ While Daryl was going through this inner struggle on whether or not he should walk right on in or not, Stella came up behind him.

"Deciding on whether or not to make a run for it?" she asked, startling Daryl.

"Um, no. Just didn't want you to, um," he stammered.

"It's ok," she said, knowing what he was thinking about. "It's locked anyway. Old habits, I guess." Stella stepped forward and unlocked the door to let Daryl in.

"What time is Maddie supposed to be back," Daryl asked.

"I'm not picking her up until tomorrow. Olivia said that she could spend the night tonight. She thought we needed some time alone," Stella said, trying to hide the blush creeping up on her face.

Daryl just nodded, trying to hide his own pink face.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Stella asked.

"Nah, I'm good," he said.

Stella grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, walked over to the sofa and sat down.

"Are you going to just stand there all day?" she asked as Daryl was still standing in the entryway by the front door.

He shook is head and came over to sit beside her on the sofa.

They sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but had only really been a couple of minutes.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous," Stella said finally breaking the silence. "It's not like we haven't been together for the past 10 years. I'm just worried that too much has changed over the past year," she admitted.

"Nuthin' can make me stop lovin' you or Maddie," Daryl said in almost a whisper while looking down at his hands. "I do need to know what happened to y'all. Where have y'all been this whole time."

Stella took a deep breath. She hated having to relive those frightful first few months. "The day that you were due to come back from your hunting trip, that's when things got bad. We saw on the news about the refugee center in Atlanta and decided to go there. I packed what I could and left you a note on the kitchen counter letting you know where to find us."

"I didn't see no note," Daryl said now looking at his wife. "Merle and I got there, but the house had been ransacked. I didn't know if you had done that or if someone else had come in and done it. After seeing that you and Maddie weren't there, Merle and I drove all over town looking for you. We went by the restaurant and by your friend's house. We even went back to the house to see if y'all had come back. I was so scared, Stella."

Stella looked over at Daryl and saw his eyes glistening with unshed tears. She reached up to touch his cheek. He leaned his head into her touch.

"We're ok. We're here, now," she said softly.

He nodded at her to continue her story.

"When we got in the car to leave, I noticed the old lady that lived next door out in her yard. I called out to her to see if she wanted to ride with us to the refugee center, only she wasn't the same old lady," Stella began describing her first encounter with a walker. Daryl's jaws clenched as he listened to her describe how the woman tried to kill her and how Maddie was screaming from the backseat.

"I got us out of there and we headed straight for the city. Traffic was backed up for miles. I turned around to try an alternate route and that's when I saw the explosion in my rearview mirror," she said.

Daryl remembered how the military dropped bombs on the city. He remembered thinking that was the moment that he had lost his family. "Merle and I saw that too," he said.

"We basically drove around for several days. I was able to find gas in the beginning and stores that hadn't completely been looted. We met a small group of people on the road that let us travel with them for a while. I didn't even realize we were working our way north," Stella said.

"That group wanted to keep going north, but I couldn't just leave without you," she said. "So we parted ways with them before we got to the state line and made our way back south. I honestly figured we would run into you somewhere on the road. There were only so many roads we could travel on that weren't overrun with walkers or filled with abandoned vehicles."

"We found a farm to stay at for a while," Daryl said. "Then we stayed in a prison."

"That old prison by route 32?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, were you near there?" Daryl asked wondering how he had not found them if they had been so close.

"We drove by it once, but I wasn't about to go check it out with just me and Maddie," Stella said. "I wish I would've now."

Daryl grabbed her hands that were folded in her lap in his and just held them.

"By that time, we had been on the road for so long," Stella said with sadness in her voice. "I had to find a safe place for Maddie. So I decided to go north and try to catch up with the group we had been with previously. They told me the route they would try to stick by in case I changed my mind."

Daryl just sat and listened. He knew that was a hard decision for her to make. He had to make the same one himself.

"You did what was right for Maddie," he said giving her hands another squeeze.

"I know, but I felt like I was giving up on you, and I wasn't. God knows I wasn't," she said as tears started to fall.

"I know you weren't," Daryl said, brushing a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "What happened next? How did you end up here?"

"So we kept traveling north. The further we went, the harder it was to find any type of supplies. We never did run into our old group," Stella said. "I still don't know where they went or if they even made it. We were about down to nothing when Aaron and Eric found us. We had been sleeping in the car when they found us and told us about this place."

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief. She had not encountered the monsters that he had. She had not been beaten or raped by sick fuckers that are out there now. And his little girl was safe.

Daryl pulled Stella into his arms and held her. "I'm so glad you two are safe," he said, kissing the top of her head.

Stella pulled away and looked into her husband's eyes. "I'm glad you're here with us now," she said. "But I get the feeling that you had a much harder time than we did getting here."

"Yeah," was all he said as he shook his head. He was so happy to have her back. He didn't want to go into all of the horrors that he had seen on his journey here. He didn't want to tell her about all of the people that he lost. He for once, just wanted to enjoy one good moment in all of this hell.

"That's ok, we don't have to talk about it now," she said reading the expression on his face. "But I would like for you to tell me about it sometime."

"I will," he agreed. "Just not tonight."

Stella laid her head back on his chest as Daryl wrapped his arms around her. He never thought he would ever feel her in his arms again. He couldn't help the other feeling that started to creep up on him as his jeans started to get a little tight in the crotch. He tried not to think about it. He wanted her to make the first move, no matter how much he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her to bed. He wanted to make sure that she was comfortable enough around him for sex. Like she said, they had been apart for some time now, and things have changed. His feelings for her hadn't changed, but maybe hers had.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Daryl and Stella sat on the sofa in each other's embrace. Daryl did tell Stella about the people he was with, without going into too much detail about the things they had been through together. Stella just listened as she curled up in his side, his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulder. She felt his chest vibrate as he spoke which made her smile.

Stella couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't ripped her clothes off of her yet though. She knew Daryl was shy and awkward around women, but she was his wife. They had gotten through all of that together. Once he did get over his shyness with her, they had a very active sex life. In fact, Stella was surprised that Maddie was their only child. They definitely weren't safe each and every time, even when she was on the pill. She let out a sigh that she didn't intend to be loud enough for him to hear as she thought about some of their escapades in the bedroom and every other room of their house, and the car, and the woods when they were camping, and, oh you get the picture.

"What's wrong?" she heard him ask with concern in his voice.

"It's nothing," she said shaking her head as she felt her cheeks flush. "It's silly."

"No, something's bothering you," he pulled her away just enough to see her face. "Tell me what it is. Does it have something to do with Maddie?"

"No, oh God, no," Stella said realizing that he was really worried. "Maddie's fine. It's just, I was thinking, um, we haven't seen each other in over a year, and, um, you were here last night and, um."

"Spit it out, woman," Daryl said in a mock huff. "As much as I love to see you at a loss for words, will you just spit it out?"

"Why haven't you tried to have sex with me!" Stella raised her voice, irritated at his teasing.

And with that Daryl pounced on her, making them both fall off the sofa onto the floor, Daryl landing on top of her. Stella giggling and breathless from being caught off guard.

"Just waitin', on you to give me the go ahead," he said in a husky voice that Stella felt go right to her groin. He dipped his head down and planted a hard kiss on her lips. There was nothing soft and tender about this kiss. It wasn't the teasing kiss that Daryl liked to start off with when getting his woman worked up. This kiss was hard and desperate. As soon as their mouths crashed into one another he had his tongue pushed into her mouth wrestling with her tongue.

Their hands quickly made haste at removing all articles of clothing. Some were probably even ripped in the process.

"This isn't going to last long," Daryl growled in her ear.

"We've got all night," Stella said in a breathy voice against his neck.

Daryl didn't hesitate. He rammed his dick straight into her to the hilt, pulled out and rammed it in again, not giving her any time to adjust.

"Fuck!," Stella cried out, enjoying the mixture of pain and pleasure, but mostly from how unbelievably good it felt to have him inside of her again.

Daryl moaned as he continued his frantic pace. He knew he had to be hurting her, but she wasn't telling him to stop or slow down, so he kept going. Every time he buried himself in her he felt his dick and balls twitch.

"Not gonna last, babe," he said in almost a strained voice. That's when he felt her clench her pussy around him.

"Shit!" he moaned. He reach his hand in between them and started rubbing her clit with is thumb. She started to writhe underneath him as every nerve in her body lit up. He could feel her getting close to her release as she gripped the back of his head and tugged on his hair.

"Fuck babe, you're gonna have to cum for me now!" he growled and with those words, she did. Her body exploded around him in one amazing orgasm. When he felt her tighten around his dick and then the flood of her making his dick all warm and wet, he couldn't hold it any longer. With a loud animalistic growl he let himself go.

They laid there on the floor panting like they had just finished running a marathon.

"That's more like it," Stella said, looking over at him. Daryl just rolled his eyes with that signature smirk on his face.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"I'm going to take a shower and from the looks of it, you could use one too," Stella said as she finally started to get up off the living room floor.

"I thought you liked me dirty," Daryl said giving her a playful pout.

"I like you dirty after working in the yard all day, or working on your truck," she said. "Not days, maybe weeks of being on the road and killing walkers."

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Stella asked placing her hand on her hips and tilting her head slightly.

Usually Daryl saw his wife in this stance it meant that he was in trouble and it scared him a little, in a "no sex for month" type of way. But seeing her like this now, butt ass naked, he couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth.

"Oh, you are SO going to get it," she said as she took off after him. She playfully swatted at his head, Daryl ducking from contact. She chased him around the sofa twice before Daryl said "to hell with it" and grabbed her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down, Dixon!" Stella yelled swatting at his bare ass.

"I will once I get you to the bathroom," he said, slapping her ass as well.

When he reached the bathroom, he flicked the light on and dropped her in the shower. Before he let her completely go though, he turned the water on cold.

"Son of a bitch!" Stella howled as the cold water hit her back.

Daryl stood against the sink laughing at the now wet and shivering woman.

"I don't know what you're laughing at," she said trying to use here angriest voice, but failing when the smile creeped across her lips.

"Aw, I forgot how cute you were when you get mad," he said as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose.

"Yeah, we'll see how cute you are when your balls are blue," she said still trying to hold in her laughter.

"Woman, until 10 minutes ago, my balls had been blue for over a year. My tolerance has greatly increased without being around you."

"Is that so, now?" Stella asked in almost a purr.

"Yes, ma'am," Daryl said, wondering where this was going.

Stella wrapped her arms around his waist and was lightly tracing her fingernails in circles against the small of his back.

"You mean to tell me that in all this time of being apart, you didn't once take matters into your own hands while thinking of me?" she asked coyly.

Daryl swallowed hard at the lump that was now in his throat. "I may have had one or two extremely vivid dreams about you. And when I woke up had something that I needed to take care of," he said his voice shaking a little.

Stella ran her nails down to his ass, scratching ever so lightly, sending a shiver up Daryl's spine. She stood up on her tiptoes and ran the tip of her tongue along the pulse in his neck. Daryl felt his dick harden immediately.

"What did you dream about, huh?" she whispered against his ear in a low breathy moan.

"Um, I dreamt about my birthday when I came home from work to find you in that little black lacy number," he stammered out.

"I remember that," she said as her hand moved to grab his dick in a firm grasp. "Is that all?"

"Um, you walked me over to the couch and took off my boots. Then you unbuckled my belt and slowly pulled it from my jeans," he said. He knew what she was doing, but this felt so much better than when he was doing it to himself that morning after his dream.

"And then what," she asked while her hand started slowly stroking his dick.

"Then, you, um, unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them off," he said barely above a whisper.

"And you weren't wearing any underwear that day, were you?" she breathed against his neck while her hand continued its torturously slow pace. She already felt pre-cum leaking from his tip.

Daryl tried to clear his throat. "Uh, no I wasn't."

"Then what did I do?" Stella asked placing another kiss against his neck.

"You, um, then, sucked my dick until I came in your mouth," he almost hissed. "Best damn blow job I'd ever had."

All of a sudden, he felt Stella's hand stop and release his still painful hard on. She took a step back and looked at him.

"Yep, I remember that night very well," she said. "Too bad you won't be getting a blow job like that tonight."

Stella turned around, turned the shower on to a more comfortable temperature and stepped in.

"You are just plain evil, woman," Daryl said as he stepped into the shower with her.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After they showered without further incident, they went downstairs to get something to eat. Daryl was still sporting a major hard on that was practically poking through his underwear. Stella couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"I promise to take care of that later," she said.

"Oh, I know you will," he growled at her as they finished cleaning up the kitchen. And once again, Stella found herself upside down over his shoulder heading up the stairs. This time Daryl took her to the bedroom and flopped her down on the bed, Stella laughing the entire time.

As Daryl crawled up her body, he grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and lifted it over her head.

"Now, I want to know," he began, his voice getting to that low, husky tone. "During the time we were apart, did you ever think about me?" He started kissing her neck from her earlobe down to her collarbone while one hand massaged her breast.

"I might've a time or two," she said. Before he could do to her what she did in the bathroom, she quickly flipped him on his back and straddled his thighs. "But let's not get into all of that just yet," she said. "Besides, I owe you one helluva a blow job." She grinned at him as she slid down his body and planted her knees of the floor.

Daryl's legs were hanging off the side of the bed so all Stella had to do was spread his legs open a little more and she would have complete access. She ran her nails up his inner thighs making his breath hitch. As she got to his center, she ran her hands to his hips and grasped them tightly. His hands immediately went to her head and he tangled his fingers in her hair.

She grabbed his dick with one hand and ran her tongue up the underside of it from base to tip. She swirled her tongue around the tip, tasting the salty pre-cum. She wrapped her mouth around the tip and slowly took him in her mouth inch by inch until she had all of him in her mouth. Daryl clinched her hair tightly as a moan escaped his mouth.

She put her hand back on his hip and slowly began to bob her head up and down, massaging his dick with her tongue as she worked her way up and the sucking it in as she worked her way back down. Low guttural moans started to come out of Daryl causing Stella to moan around him.

"Damn, babe, you are so good at that," he breathed out.

Stella started to pick the pace up a little. As she did, she reached down with one hand and start massaging his balls, rolling the bundle of nerves hidden within around in her hand. Daryl's hips bucked up.

Stella was so turned on by Daryl's reactions that she was causing she couldn't help but put her other hand between her own legs. She slipped two fingers into her underwear. She was already soaked with arousal. She started rubbing her clit to the same pace.

"Uh huh, babe," Daryl said when he realized what she was doing. "That's my job."

She removed her hand from panties and grabbed onto his hip again. He couldn't help but notice that her fingers had been wet and that made him start thrusting into her mouth. He absolutely loved when she sucked his dick, but he had to get to her.

"Almost there," he gasped out as she took hold of both hips and started licking and sucking faster. His dick hitting the back of her throat with each thrust.

"Fuck!" he cried out as he came in her mouth. She took everything he had and let it slide down the back of her throat.

He lifted her back up on the bed and flipped her over on her back.

"My turn," he growled out as he started sucking on her neck.

He licked his was down her chest and took one breast in his mouth. He licked and sucked until her nipple was as hard as a pebble. He licked across her chest to her other breast and got that nipple hardened as well. Satisfied with his work, he ran his tongue down her stomach to her waistline. He placed his hand inside her panties and ripped them off causing her to jump.

Daryl kissed a trail up her inner thigh stopping just short of where she wanted him. He did the same thing up her other thigh, again stopping just short.

"Daryl, I need you to touch me," Stella almost pleaded.

Daryl couldn't wait any longer himself. He loved the way she smelled and tasted. He licked his tongue flat up her folds until he reached her clit. He started to massage her clit with the tip of his tongue, swirling the nub around. Stella started rolling her hips in rhythm with his tongue.

Daryl immediately placed his hands on her stomach to still her. She grabbed at sides of the pillow her head was on in frustration. Daryl just grinned. He continued licking and sucking on her clit even nipping it gently with his teeth.

"Shit, baby!" Stella cried. She needed more of him. She wanted to feel all of him inside of her.

Daryl's dick was already starting to get hard again from Stella's moans and pleads.

He licked down to her opening and plunged his tongue inside of her. Her hips bucked off the bed even with his hands holding her down. He moved his tongue inside of her, exploring every inch of her. He moved his hands to her inner thighs and spread her legs as wide as they could go. With her hips free, she involuntarily started grinding against his face.

Stella was panting now. Her head thrown back into the pillow as her hands clutched both sides. She was grinding her hips so hard, her butt was coming off of the bed.

"Oh, fuck, baby!" she whimpered. "Right there. Right there. Please don't stop!"

Daryl didn't stop. He continued to tongue fuck her until her body went stiff and he felt her juices flood around his tongue. He lapped up every bit of her as she moaned and writhed on the bed.

When her orgasm was over, he crawled back up her and kissed her passionately. She could taste herself on his tongue, which completely turned her on even more.

"I need you inside of me now," she said in her own growl.


	13. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all of your comments! I would've updated sooner, but thought I'd give everyone a "cooling off" period after the last couple of chapters ;)**

 **I also wanted to let everyone know that I did complete a short story based on Norman's character, Lucien, from his movie "Beat". I would like to try my hand at a Boondocks story as well. So many ideas, so little time.**

Chapter 12

Stella woke up and her whole body ached. She was used to that, but this was a different kind of ache. It wasn't the kind when she would wake up after sleeping on the ground in a tent or in the front seat of her car. It wasn't the kind of ache that she had after fighting her way through a herd of walkers. No, this was a good ache. And as she rolled over and looked at the man sleeping beside her on his back, she smiled at the reason for her aches.

Daryl was softly snoring, his right arm draped over his eyes. Stella grabbed his left arm and wrapped it around her as she laid her head on his chest. Her head rose with each breath that he took and she could hear his heart beat. She wrapped her arm around his waist and her leg around his, snuggling into his side. This was her favorite place to be.

"Mornin'" she heard a voice still filled with sleep say.

"Mornin'" she replied as she gave him a gentle squeeze.

They laid there for a few more minutes, neither one of them wanting to move. But sure enough, the human body has a way of ruining the moment and Stella had to tear herself away to go pee. When she came out of the bathroom, Daryl was already downstairs fixing their coffee. Stella stood there for a moment, taking in the man that was her husband. He had halfway gotten dress, his pants hanging loosely on his hips, but was still shirtless. His hair was pointing in every which way, giving him a youthful appearance. Yes, her man was definitely sexy first thing in the morning. Stella licked her lips as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"So, when are you going to introduce me to everyone?" Stella asked, looking up at Daryl.

"I dunno," Daryl just shrugged. He really didn't want to Stella to meet Rick and his group. The past 24 hours have felt like a dream being here with her. He wanted to stay in that dream, keep her all to himself. He didn't want to have his life with her, his happy, normal life with Stella mix with the violent, horrible life with the group. He didn't want Stella to see that side of him.

"Well maybe you can take us over there after I pick up Maddie from Olivia's today," Stella said only to get another shrug from him.

As she started to pull away from him, she noticed a circular scar on his side. "This is new," she said, tracing the scar with her index finger.

"Got that when I got thrown from a horse and fell down a cliff. One of my bolts pierced through my side," Daryl began, telling her about that day he was out looking for Sophia. He left out the part when Andrea shot him thinking he was a walker. That would've sent Stella into a rage and there was no point in that. Andrea wasn't with them any longer anyway.

"I'm going to take a shower and then pick Maddie up," Stella said after they finished their coffee. She kissed Daryl lightly on the cheek and headed upstairs. As soon as he heard the water running, there was a knock at the door.

Daryl opened the door to find Rick standing on the other side.

"Carol's making dinner for everyone tonight. I thought you might want to bring Stella and Maddie over," Rick said. Rick couldn't help but stare at his friend. He had never seen Daryl so relaxed.

"Yeah, sure," Daryl nodded.

"Great!" Rick said a little to excitedly. He was very curious to see Daryl with his family. This was a man that stayed away from forming relationships within the group. "We'll see you then," he said as he stepped off the porch and headed back across the street to his house.

"Who was that?" Stella asked as she came down the stairs. She was dressed in jeans and a simple white t-shirt. She was combing out her hair that was still wet.

"That was Rick. Carol's fixin' dinner for the group tonight and he wanted us to come," Daryl said as he began chewing on his bottom lip. Stella could tell he was nervous about her meeting everyone.

"Are you okay with that?" she asked, sitting down on the sofa and putting her comb on the coffee table.

"Yeah," Daryl began, sitting next to her. "I want y'all to meet them. I just," he hesitated. "It's not like it is when we're together."

Stella looked at him confused.

"For a while, it was just me and Merle, ya know?" Daryl tried to explain. "After he was gone, I was still trying to deal with the thought of losing you, I didn't want to have anything to do with those people. After a while, though, it got harder and harder to do this on my own."

Stella began to understand.

"I've done things I'm not proud of, Stell," he said. "Things I don't really want you to know about, but I know I'll end up tellin' ya eventually. I just don't want you to think any different about me." Daryl was looking down, picking at his thumbnail.

"Daryl," Stella reached over and took his face in her hands, making him look at her. "There is nothing that is going to make me think any less of you or love you any less. You are my husband, the love of my life, and we are in this thing together now."

She brought his face down to meet hers and kissed him on the lips.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Daryl, Stella and Maddie walked across the street to Rick's house. Daryl was tense. He just hoped that no one said anything to embarrass him. Stella had a pack of butterflies floating in her stomach. This group of people had become Daryl's family. It was like meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time. She just hoped that they liked her. Maddie was a little nervous too. She didn't like meeting new people, another trait she got from her dad. She was carrying a container of cookies that Stella had made to bring over.

The trio walked into the house to have everyone turn to look at them. Daryl was having déjà vu from the other morning when he walked in to this. Everyone stood in awkward silence for a moment before Rick came over to them.

"I'm Rick," he said and he extended his hand to Stella.

"Stella," she said as she shook his hand. "This here is Madison, but everyone calls her Maddie."

Maddie gripped her mother's hand tightly as she halfway his behind her. Rick knelt down so he was at eye level with the girl.

"I saw you with my Daddy when I got outta school," she said in a tiny voice.

"Yes, you did," Rick said. "Your dad and I are good friends. He's like a brother to me."

Maddie seemed to think about what Rick had said. She took a step away from her mother, not letting go of her hand though, but loosening her grip a little. After coming to an acceptable conclusion in her little 6 year old mind, she gave Rick a smile.

"I made cookies," she said, handing Rick the container. "Momma helped."

"Well, thank you very much," Rick said as he took the cookies. "Everyone here loves cookies." That made Maddie smile a little bigger.

"Aw hell," Abraham bellowed from across the room. "Enough of this." He walked up to Stella and grabbed her into a big bear hug ignoring the scowl he was receiving from Daryl.

"How on Earth did this man nab a dame like you," Abraham asked slapping Daryl on the chest.

"To be honest," Stella began after Abraham put her back down. "It was his winning personality." She could tell that everyone in the room was trying to stifle their laughs. "And the fact he's got a great butt." That got everyone laughing. She looked up at Daryl with eyes that said, "Sorry, but it's true". His face was turning ten different shades of red with embarrassment. Stella reached around and patted him on the back. She knew she was going to get it when they got home.

The air around them seemed to lighten up as everyone came up and introduced themselves. Stella really liked them. She could see why Daryl became so attached to this group of people, no matter how hard he tried fighting it at first. She was grateful to each and every one of them for keeping her husband safe so they could now be together again.

Daryl walked Stella and Maddie into the kitchen to meet Carol. She was putting the finishing touches on dinner and didn't look up until she heard Daryl clear his throat.

"Carol," he began. "This is Stella and Maddie."

Carol looked at the three of them and Stella couldn't help but notice a bit of sadness in the woman's eyes.

"It is so nice to meet you," Carol said reaching out to shake Stella's hand. Stella thought she sounded kind of fake, but just chalked it up to nerves.

"Same here," Stella said.

"And you," Carol said looking down at Maddie. "You look just like your daddy."

"Momma says I act like him too," Maddie said innocently.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Stella asked.

"Not at all," Carol said. "It's just about done."

They left Carol to finish up and joined everyone else in the living room. Daryl was sitting beside Stella on the sofa while Maddie was sitting in his lap. Carol could see them from the kitchen and couldn't help but glare at them.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

After dinner, everyone was sitting around the living room talking. Daryl got more relaxed as the evening went on. He could tell that everyone liked Stella. He hadn't realized he had been worried about that until now. He didn't understand why Carol was putting on her Betty Crocker routine around them though. He knew she did this with the other Alexandrians, although he didn't understand it. But he though she would've been herself around Stella.

"So Stella," Glen said. "Was Daryl always this scary?" That got the group chuckling a bit.

"What do you mean, scary?" Stella asked looking over at the scowl on her husband's face. "Oh, you mean like this?"

"Yeah, exactly like that," Glen said.

"Yeah, he's always had that look," Stella said grinning at him. "But his bark is way worse than his bite."

Daryl couldn't contain the scowl and a little smirk began to form at the corner of his mouth.

"I can't believe you got him to shower," Maggie chimed in.

And the scowl returned.

Carol sat there watching everyone interact with Stella. It was like she had been with them the whole time. She couldn't understand why everyone was so gaga over this woman. And she hated it when she would see Daryl look down at her with loving eyes. She had never seen Daryl look at anyone like that before. But what really broke her heart was seeing him with his daughter. Daryl loved that little girl and she loved her dad. When she was sitting in his lap and he kissed the top of her head it was all Carol could do not to run from the room.

It was getting late and Maddie was already asleep in Daryl's lap with her head against his chest. He could feel a little wet spot on his shirt from her starting to drool.

"I think it's time we got her home," he whispered in Stella's ear.

"I think you're right," she said with a giggle looking at his shirt.

"Thank you for dinner," Stella said, directing it to Carol.

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Carol replied with a big smile on her face.

Everyone gave Stella a hug goodbye, well, everyone except Carol. Rick walked with them outside.

"Can you go put her bed, please," Stella asked Daryl motioning toward the house. "I want to talk to Rick for just a sec."

"K," Daryl said.

Once Daryl was inside the house, Stella turned to Rick. She had a serious look in her eyes.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Stella said.

"For what?" Rick asked.

"For taking care of my husband these past couple of years. He can be a bit, difficult, if you haven't already noticed," she said causing Rick to chuckle. "Thank you for not giving up on him. If it weren't for you, for all of you, I don't think he would've made it back to us." Stella's eyes started to water.

"If it weren't for him, I don't think any of us would be here right now," Rick said and pulled Stella into a hug. "We're family and we take care of our own. That includes you and Maddie now."

Stella nodded, trying to keep the tears from falling. She turned around and went inside.

"What was that all about?" Daryl asked as Stella came into the bedroom after checking on Maddie.

"I wanted to thank him for taking care of you and bringing you back to us safe," she said as they got undressed, ready for bed.

"Pfft, I can take care of myself," Daryl scoffed.

"Uh huh," Stella said, shaking her head.

They climbed into bed and curled up into each other.

"I like them," Stella said. "I'm glad you had them out there."

"Would rather had been with you," he said quietly.

"I know, I would've rather you'd been with us as well," Stella said looking up at him. "But I'm glad you weren't out there alone."

They laid there for another minute before Stella lifted her head to see if Daryl was asleep yet.

"What," he said, his eyes closed.

"I don't think Carol likes me," Stella said.

"And why wouldn't Carol like you," Daryl asked, eyes still closed.

"Because she's in love with you." That popped his eyes open.

"What do you mean she's in love with me?" Daryl asked now sitting up fully.

"I could tell by the way she kept looking at you and the way she kept looking at me," Stella said. "Don't tell me you've never noticed it before."

"No, I never noticed it," Daryl said a little defensive.

"Babe, I'm not accusing you of anything," Stella said, picking up on it.

"I know," he said calming back down. "'M sorry. I really never did think about it though. I never saw her like that."

"Just be aware, in case she starts acting different," Stella said. Daryl wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to a woman's feelings.

"Yes, ma'am," he said as they laid back down and went to sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Daryl thought about what Stella had said to him the other night about Carol. He still didn't really believe it. He and Carol were just friends. Granted they had been through a lot together, but he never saw her as anything more than that.

"Daddy, why you so quiet," Maddie asked him.

He had taken Maddie with him over to Aaron's house. Aaron had acquired motorcycle parts during his scavenges and told Daryl that if he could use them to build a motorcycle, he could have it. He wanted to spend some time with his daughter and thought if he brought her along, it would give them some one on one time together. Plus he could teach her a few things about mechanics as well.

"Just thinkin' is all," he replied. "Now come 'ere, I want ya help with this tire."

Maddie went over to where her dad was. He had already started the lugs to hold the tire in place.

"Ya see that," he began. Maddie nodding her head paying close attention. "I need your help to make sure that's good and tight."

"So the wheel won't come off when you're riding?" Maddie asked.

"That's right," Daryl answered.

Maddie took the wrench and began turning the bolt. Her tip of her tongue was sticking out of her mouth as she concentrated. Daryl couldn't help but smile. She was pretty damn cute.

"Think I got it," she said looking up at Daryl for approval.

"I think you did too," he said giving her a big smile. He had missed this, hanging out with Maddie, teaching her things that his dad never took the time to teach him.

"Daddy, can I ask you a question," Maddie asked. Daryl noticed the seriousness in her voice and was scared of what was going to come out of her mouth. She had always been a curious child and had caught him and her mother by surprise a few times with some of her inquiries.

"Can you teach me how to fight?" she asked.

"Now why do you want to learn how to fight," he asked her looking into her big blue eyes that were the mirror image of his.

"A boy, Sam, in my class keeps picking on me. Momma says he picks on me because he likes me. I don't like him. He's weird," Maddie began explaining to her dad.

Daryl knew who Maddie was talking about. In fact, he thought Rick had a thing for Sam's mom, Jessie, who also happened to be married. Carol had told them that Sam's dad abuses them.

"Why do you think Sam is weird," Daryl asked.

"He's always quiet, but when he does talk it's always something mean," Maddie began. "I wouldn't be mean to somebody that I liked."

Daryl sat down on the ground and pulled his daughter into his lap.

"Maybe he's just scared," Daryl said. "There's a lot of scary things out there now. Maybe he's scared at home." He wondered how he was going to explain this.

"Yeah, Momma told me that his daddy isn't very nice. She told me not to go around him," Maddie said.

"Maybe being mean is the only thing Sam knows," Daryl said thinking back to his childhood. He was always shooting his mouth off and getting into fights growing up.

"But you're not mean and Grandpa wasn't nice to you and uncle Merle," Maddie said.

Daryl hugged his daughter tightly, fighting back the tears threatening to fall. One night, when Maddie was 3, she had walked in on him getting out of the shower. She had seen the scars on his back and ran out of the bathroom crying to her mom "Daddy's hurt". Stella told her how her Grandpa wasn't a nice man and used to hit Daryl and his brother when they were young.

"I would never be mean to you or your momma," Daryl said, pulling Maddie away so he could look her in the eye. "But when I was a kid, I was mean to people. I was scared and mad about what my Daddy did to me, I took it out on everyone else."

Maddie nodded in understanding.

"Just be nice to Sam. You don't know what all he has to deal with at home," Daryl said.

Maddie nodded again as a single tear fell down her cheek.

"I love you, Possum," Daryl said, hugging her once more.

"I love you too, Daddy," she said.

She pulled away from him and stood up.

"Your Momma is going to have a fit. Look at you," he said making his daughter look down at her appearance. She had grease stains on her clothes and one smeared on her cheek.

"I look like you now," she said with a giggle.

Daryl looked down at his appearance then. "I guess she's gonna have both of our butts then." He stood up and picked Maddie up and turned her upside down. She was laughing as he held her by her legs, her face turning red from the blood rushing to her head.

Across the street, Carol watched the father and daughter play around. _That should be my Sophia with him, not her._ She thought to herself. The timer on the oven went off, jolting Carol out of her thoughts. She took the cookies out to let them cool.

 **Okay, just a short, sweet chapter with Daryl and his daughter. I promise I'll update more. I've been busy with work and raising a teenager who thinks he knows everything.**

 **I apologize to the Caryl fans out there. I just never felt it and her character is really starting to get on my nerves now.**

 **Keep the comments coming** **J**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Stella was walking with Maddie from school when something caught her eye. She had to stop and take in a deep breath.

"Daddy, you finished it," Maddie yelled running up to Daryl who was sitting on his motorcycle.

Stella loved seeing him on a bike. They used to take off all the time together before Maddie was born and ride through the Georgian countryside. She loved wrapping her arms around him, having her thighs cradle his ass. She could feel her chest and face turning red as the spot between her legs started to ache.

"Yep, I did," he said. "Was gonna take it out for a spin."

"Can I ride on it?" Maddie asked.

"Ok, but just down the street here and back," Daryl said. He helped her climb on the back of the bike and started it up. "Hold on."

Daryl took Maddie down the street and back. The little girl was laughing the whole way. Stella was standing in front of their house when they pulled up.

"Would you like to go for a ride," Daryl asked, his voice husky as he saw the want in Stella's eyes.

"You have no idea," Stella said, biting her bottom lip.

"Olivia," Stella called out, rushing up to the woman in her front yard. "Do you mind watching Maddie for a bit?"

"Of course not," Olivia said with a smirk. "He does look good on that bike," she gave Stella wink, causing her to blush even more.

"Yes he does," Stella said. "Ok, Maddie, you be good for Olivia. Daddy and I will be back before bedtime." She gave her daughter a hug and headed back towards her husband.

Stella placed her hands on Daryl's shoulders as she swung her leg over the bike. As she took her place behind him, she slid her hands down his back and around his waist, pulling herself as close to him as possible.

"Ready," Daryl turned his head to her and asked.

"Absolutely," Stella said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Daryl revved the bike a couple of times before taking off, sending a stream of vibrations throughout Stella's body. She squeezed her thighs tight around his ass. Daryl grinned at her reaction.

Eugene opened the gates and the couple took off down the road.

Daryl was only planning to be gone a couple of hours. He just wanted to get outside of those walls. He had been adjusting to life in Alexandria pretty well, but that was only because he had Stella and Maddie there. He still felt claustrophobic at times, wanting to get out and hunt or even scavenge, but he didn't want to leave his family.

Being on the open road now with the wind whipping around him, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. He loved feeling Stella's arms wrapped around his waist and her head pressed against the back of his shoulder. It felt like they were the only two people in the world.

He revved the bike again and started going faster. He heard Stella laugh behind him as she tightened her arms around him. Her hands were flat against his chest and she would give him a squeeze every now and then. When she did that, he would have to slow down some as her touch was starting to make him hard.

Stella started to run her hands down his chest until they were sitting on his waist at the hem of his shirt. She wanted to full on grab his crotch, but didn't feel like crashing into a tree, so she was being subtly playful.

She reached underneath his shirt and ran her hands along his stomach, lightly brushing through the fine hair there. Daryl sat up straighter as he slowed the bike down a little more. He was going to have to find some place for them to pull over if she continued to keep this up.

Stella let her hands trail down his outer thighs rubbing them through his pants, but not coming close to the hard bulge of his full-blown erection. She bucked her hips toward his backside and it was all Daryl could do to keep the bike on the road. He saw an old farmhouse off in the distance with a barn. He turned down a side road and headed in that direction.

There were no signs of life around, and luckily no signs of the dead either. Daryl pulled the motorcycle into the barn and climbed off the bike. He gave Stella a warning look filled with lust as he retrieved his crossbow from the back of the bike. She was already breathing heavily.

Stella got off the bike and followed Daryl through the barn, making sure they were indeed alone. Once it was decided that the barn was clear, Daryl grabbed Stella's hand and dragged her to a corner where hay bales were stacked.

He put his crossbow down and pulled her in for a bruising kiss.

"That wasn't very nice," he growled in her ear as their hands were roaming along each other's bodies, removing clothing. "I'm so fuckin' horny right now thanks to you."

Daryl latched onto her neck, sucking on her pulse. Stella whimpered as she felt a shot of electricity move straight to her groin. Once all of their clothing had been shed, he hoisted her up by her ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist and placed her on a stack of hay bales. The stack was waist level so there were staring straight into each other's eyes.

Seeing Daryl's beautiful baby blues turn dark with lust, seeing how much he wanted her, was always a turn on for Stella. She crashed her mouth into his, immediately opening up to feel his tongue in her mouth. Their tongues pushed against each other's as Stella tugged on Daryl's hair and he gripped her hips hard.

Daryl pulled away from their kiss and started licking his way to her breasts. His arms wrapped around her upper back as he took one breast in his mouth. He sucked at her nipple until it was hard, then he gave it a little nip causing Stella to arch her back. He took her other breast in his mouth, sucking and nipping until Stella was moaning.

He let one hand slide from her back, across her stomach and down to her slick folds.

"Damn, babe, you're so fuckin' wet," he breathed against her neck.

"Fuck, Daryl," Stella moaned out as he began rubbing her clit.

Daryl gave her another heated kiss before he sank down to his knees. He spread her legs and dove right in. His tongue licked up her folds. When he reached her clit, he began flicking his tongue and sucking on her bundle of nerves.

Stella had one hand behind her, supporting her, while the other went straight into Daryl's hair. She looked down at him as he massaged her inner walls with his tongue. Their darkened eyes stared into each other as Stella started grinding her hips.

"Oh, God," Stella started to scream as she felt her orgasm take over. "Don't stop!"

Daryl loved watching her come. He loved how she threw her head back with her eyes closed and her mouth open as her pleasure washed over her. He loved how her hips would jerk against him and her pussy would quiver. He knew once he was inside her, he wasn't going to last long, not after her teasing on the bike. He had to get her off first.

Daryl slowed his movements with his tongue, letting her ride out the last wave of her orgasm as he lapped up her juices. He stood back up and grabbed both of her legs so they were bent over his forearms at the knees. He leaned into her and kissed her with as much passion as before, letting Stella taste herself on his tongue.

"My turn," he growled in her ear, making Stella shiver.

"Fuck me, baby," Stella said breathlessly, grabbing Daryl's hips as he plunged into her to the hilt.

"Shit," Daryl moaned, pumping hard into her, not giving her time to adjust to his size. "You're so fuckin' tight. God, you feel so good."

They both were panting as Daryl kept a fast pace. He could already feel Stella's walls tighten around him as her second orgasm was building.

"Fuck babe, not gonna last long," he groaned, his head against her shoulder. "Mmm, wanna come so bad."

Stella, having a firm grasp on his hips, pulled him into her even further.

"Come with me, Daryl," she whimpered. The sounds of their moans and their bodies slapping into one another filled the barn.

"Oh, fuck," Stella yelled as she came undone. Her fingers dug into Daryl's hips, her head tossed back as she came around him.

Daryl's thrusts became jerky as he searched for his own release. He felt Stella tighten around his dick as she came so hard she nearly pushed him out of her. He thrust into her one hard, deep time and felt himself explode inside of her.

"Jesus Christ," Daryl yelled as they both rode out their highs. Their inner thighs wet from their combined juices, their bodies slick with sweat. Daryl let go of Stella's legs, but she kept the wrapped around his waist.

Still connected, they held each other, both trembling from their releases. Daryl kissed her gently, his hands tangled in her hair.

"That was amazing," he whispered against her cheek.

"Every time with you is amazing," Stella said, running her hands up and down his back. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

Daryl pulled out of her, immediately missing her warmth. He placed a kiss on her nose.

"Love you," he said, his forehead pressed against her.

"Love you too," she smiled.

They made it back to Alexandria before nightfall. Daryl picked Maddie up while Stella went home to shower. After she got dressed, she went downstairs to fix dinner while Daryl took his shower.

They ate dinner and Daryl read Maddie a story before going to bed.

"Stell, there's something I gotta talk to you about," Daryl said as they were getting ready for bed.

"What is it?" she asked.

Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, chewing on his thumbnail. "Aaron wants me to start recruiting with him."

Stella turned to look at him. She knew Daryl got anxious being behind these walls all the time. She knew he needed to get out there and do something, feel like he's contributing in some way. And she knew that he would be great at recruiting, he was always a good judge of character. But she couldn't help but worry that each time he left would be the last time she'd ever see him. She had just gotten him back.

"I think that's a great idea," she said. She stood in front of him, her hands placed on each side of his face, making him look up at her. "I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not going to be worried sick every time you're gone, but I know this is something that you need to do and I will support you."

Daryl nodded, now chewing on his bottom lip.

"You just make sure you come back home to us," she said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Yes ma'am," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Daryl and Aaron had been gone for a couple of days. This was his first recruiting outing and Stella had been on pins and needles the whole time. She couldn't sleep at night and couldn't keep her focus during the day teaching the kids. All she wanted was to hear the sound of that motorcycle, letting her know that her husband was back home safe.

Sensing Stella's anxiety, Maggie decided to invite her over for the day to help take her mind off of everything. She had asked Carol, Michonne and Tara to come over as well. They were going to have a relaxing "girls' day". Plus they hadn't really gotten to know Stella yet. Sure she came over for dinner that one night, but that included everyone. She wanted to learn more about her friend's wife.

The five of them sat outside with two bottles of wine.

"So how did you and Daryl meet," Maggie immediately asked as the other women looked at Stella.

"Oh, we're jumping into the 'men talk' first," Stella said with a grin as she took a sip of her wine.

"Sorry," Maggie said a little embarrassed. "It's just so hard for us to imagine Daryl with a wife and daughter. He's always been so, so"

"Gruff?" Stella completed Maggie's thought.

"Yeah, gruff. That's a nice way of putting it," Michonne said as the other women laughed.

"We went to the same high school together, although Daryl dropped out at the end of his junior year," Stella began.

"We weren't friends in school though. He was more of a loner, didn't really 'play well with others'. I wasn't insanely popular, by no means, but I had my little group of friends," Stella continued.

"Did he have those sexy arms back then?" Maggie asked inciting another round of giggles from the group.

"Not like they are today, but he had some muscle to them," Stella said. "He could take care of himself in a fight."

"So how did you two get together if you weren't friends in school?" Carol asked, finally breaking her silence. Stella felt a little uncomfortable discussing Daryl to Carol, knowing her feelings for him, but the other women were so curious.

 _I rode with Brian to his house after graduation. His parents had left right after the ceremony for their weeklong trip to Bermuda. They knew he would be having a party, but they didn't care. The whole class showed up. It was fun until Brian started getting way too drunk._

 _"Come on baby, let's go upstairs," he whispered in my ear._

 _"I don't want to right now," I said. "I want to hang out with everyone. We don't know when we'll all be together like this again." I was a little tipsy and therefore getting emotional._

 _"Oh, come on," Brian grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs into his room. "This won't take long."_

 _"Another reason I don't want to," I said. "You're drunk. I don't want to be with you when you're like this. Plus the house is full of people. Anyone could walk in on us."_

 _"Don't be such a bitch!" Brian screamed at me as his backhand went across my face._

 _I stumbled backward and immediately tasted blood._

 _"I can't believe you just hit me, you asshole!" I screamed at him. "We are so over!"_

 _"I say when we're over, and we are not over until you spread those legs for me!" he screamed grabbing me by my arms and throwing me on his bed._

 _He stood over me, unbuttoning his jeans. There was no way in hell I was going to let this happen. I kicked my leg up, my ankle making hard contact with his balls._

 _"You bitch!" he yelled as he doubled over holding himself. "You're going to pay for that."_

 _I ran out of his room and down the stairs, straight out the front door. I didn't stop running until I was halfway down the road. I slowed my pace as tears streamed down my cheeks._

 _What the fuck just happened? I asked myself. Brian always got a temper when he drank, but he never hit me before. I was in shock. I was so out of it that I didn't notice the blue truck that pulled up beside me._

 _"Hey, you okay?" I heard a man's voice. The truck stopped. The man got out and walked over toward me. When I saw his face, I knew immediately that it was Daryl Dixon._

 _"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got into a fight with my boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend," I said._

 _"Do you need a ride home or sumthin?" Daryl asked. "S'not safe to be walking alone this late."_

 _"Sure, I guess," I said. The adrenaline was already leaving my body and I was suddenly becoming really tired._

 _Daryl opened the passenger door for me and helped me into the truck. He came in on the other side and started to drive._

 _"Here," he said and handed me a red rag. "You might want to clean yourself up before you get home."_

 _I took the rag and looked into his rearview mirror. God, I didn't realize I looked like such a hot mess. My lip had dried blood on it. My cheeks had black lines that ran down them from my make up._

 _"Thanks," I said._

 _There was an awkward silence in the truck until we reached my driveway._

 _"This that kid you were seeing in school," Daryl said motioning toward my busted lip._

 _"Brian? Yeah, this would be his work," I said as I looked down at my hands in my lap._

 _"He ever do this before?" Daryl asked._

 _"No, this was the first and last time," I told him._

 _"Good," he said. "No man should be hittin' a woman."_

 _There was another pause before I opened the door to get out._

 _"Thank you, Daryl," I said._

"I woke up the next morning, to my best friend frantically yelling at me in the phone," Stella said. "She was telling me that Brian had gotten the shit beat out of him sometime that night after the party."

"I ran into Daryl and Merle later that day at the gas station. They both had cuts and scrapes on their knuckles. I knew then that it was them that beat up Brian, although, neither one of them said anything about it until years later after Daryl and I were together," Stella told the group. "We were pretty much together after that."

The woman continued talking. Everyone was having a good time. Stella was starting to really feel like a part of the group. She knew how much these people meant to Daryl and she really wanted to fit in with them and get to know them.

"So, what's Daryl like in the sack?" asked Tara. Stella almost spit out the mouthful of wine she had just taken.

"Oh, come on," Tara said towards the other women. "It's not like y'all are curious either."

"Well, without going into details," Stella said. "He can be real sweet at times and at other times he can be more like a wild animal." Stella's face was beginning to turn red.

"I can't picture the sweet, but I definitely can picture the wild animal," Tara said waggling her eyebrows. All of them busted out laughing, except for Carol. She excused herself to get another bottle of wine. Stella felt a twinge of guilt, but at the same time, she was not going to be herself and talk about her husband just to spare Carol's feelings. Carol would just have to learn to live with it.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The laughter stopped when they heard people yelling. Everyone made their way out front to see what all the commotion was about. The scene they came upon was total chaos, the front window of Jessie's house was broken and Rick and Pete, her abusive husband, were going at it in the middle of the street. Stella thought Rick looked like a crazed lunatic with blood all over his face as he beat the holy shit out of Pete. Deanna was out there with some of the other residents yelling for the men to stop.

Once Rick was satisfied that Pete wasn't able to throw any more punches, he started screaming at everyone about how they didn't know what it was like and wondering how many of them he would have to kill in order to keep Alexandria safe. Stella couldn't believe that the soft-spoken man she'd gotten to know was the same man she was staring at now and it scared her. Michonne was able to sneak up behind Rick during his tirade and knock him out.

Deanna had Rick taken into "custody" to one of the empty houses and instructed Michonne to stand guard. Pete was taken to the infirmary. Stella picked up Maddie from Olivia's house and took her home. She was confused and scared and wanted her husband home. _What kind of people have you gotten yourself involved with, Daryl?_ Stella thought to herself. Deanna came around to all of the residents informing everyone that there would be a meeting that night to discuss whether or not Rick would be allowed to remain in Alexandria.

Stella was on edge the rest of the day. _What if Deanna kicks Rick out?_ She figured the whole group would leave with Rick. He was their leader and there was an obvious bond there. _Would Daryl want to leave with them? Would he expect her and Maddie to come with them?_

Stella would follow her husband anywhere, but she had to think of Maddie. She couldn't drag their daughter back out there, into the unknown. She sat with Maddie at the kitchen table, coloring pictures with her, trying to turn her mind off.

When nightfall came, she took Maddie back over to Olivia's house. Olivia and a couple other ladies volunteered to watch the children during the meeting. Stella walked over to the courtyard where the residents of Alexandria were gathered around a small fire.

Everyone was there except for Rick. Deanna was trying to hold off starting any type of discussion until he arrived, but was getting frustrated at his absence. She then opened the floor to anyone who wanted to voice their concerns.

Stella stood there and listened as members of Rick's group told of how he's a great man and a survivor, how he'd seen things that no one should have to witness and how he would do anything to keep them safe. Stella listened as some of the residents voiced their concerns for their safety around Rick. Stella listened to everyone and still didn't know how she felt. Deep down she really didn't think that Rick was a threat to them, but then she thought about that look in his eyes earlier that day.

While Stella was lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice Rick coming into the courtyard carrying the body of one of the undead until she heard the gasps from those around her. That was when all hell broke loose.

As Rick was addressing the group on their false sense of security, Pete showed up drunk, wielding Michonne's sword. After a scuffle, Pete accidently sliced through Deanna's husband, Reg's, throat. Rick then shot Pete point blank in the head on Deanna's command.

The scene was surreal. Stella stood there in shock, looking down at the blood pouring from Reg's throat while Deanna wailed above him and Pete lying lifeless on the ground. Her vision started to get fuzzy and she knew she was going to pass out. Then she heard a voice she never thought she'd hear again.

"Well fuck me sideways," Stella heard in that unmistakable southern drawl. "Looks like Officer Friendly ain't too friendly these days."

Stella lowered her head and shook it slowly. _Merle._

 **Yeah, I brought Merle back instead of Morgan. Morgan's conscious really gets on my nerves. Thought Merle would be more fun** **J**


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Stella walked into her house holding a very sleepy Maddie in her arms. As soon as she walked through the door, Maddie practically jumped out of her arms.

"Uncle Merle!" the little girl squealed. "You're not dead!"

"Now that can't be my little possum," Merle said as he bent down to pick up his niece. "You're too big to be her." Maddie giggled.

"Nice to know I was missed," Daryl huffed mockingly.

"Go over there and give your Pops a hug before he throws a temper tantrum," Merle said as he put Maddie down.

"I'm glad you're not dead too," Maddie said giving her dad a hug and kiss on the cheek.

As much as Stella liked watching this little reunion, her nerves were frayed and she needed some answers.

"Maddie, sweetie, go get ready for bed," Stella said. "We'll be up to tuck you in shortly." Maddie did as her Momma asked.

"What do I hafta' do to get a hug from my favorite sister-in-law?" Merle asked with his arms extended towards Stella.

"Merle, I'm your ONLY sister-in-law," she said with a smile as she walked over to hug him.

"Good ta see ya, darlin'" Merle said pulling away.

"Good to see you too," Stella said.

"Again, nice to know I was missed too," Daryl said staring down at his feet.

"Oh, good Lord, Darlina," Merle said rolling his eyes.

Stella wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist and laid her head against his chest. She felt like collapsing right there as Daryl gently rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. He lifted her chin up and looked into her tired eyes. He could tell she was hanging on by a thread.

"Merle, you can have the bedroom next to Maddie's," Daryl said. "I'm gonna get this one to bed before she falls over."

They all made their way upstairs, stopping in Maddie's room to tell her goodnight. She had already fallen asleep and one by one, they kissed her on the forehead. Merle went to the bathroom to shower before going to bed himself.

Daryl steered Stella into their room. He sat her on the bed as he went into their bathroom and started filling the tub up.

"What are you doing?" Stella called out from the bedroom.

"I'm gettin' a bath ready for us," Daryl said coming to stand in the doorway.

"You hate baths," she said. "You think they're too 'girly'."

"True, but you don't look like you can stand," he said.

"I'm not letting you in that bathtub as filthy as you are," she said. "I'd have to clean that tub for a week to get all that dirt and grime out."

"Geez, woman!" Daryl shook his head and huffed. "Try to do something nice," he mumbled making his way back into the bathroom. He jumped in the shower while the tub was still filling up and washed himself quickly. "Can't believe I hafta take a shower before I take a bath."

Stella could still hear him griping when she heard the shower cut off. She smiled to herself. Daryl was doing his best to take care of her and that made her heart swell. He was never the romantic type, but he did have his moments.

He came out of the bathroom still dripping wet and pulled Stella up off the bed. He led her into the bathroom, turned the water off and helped her undress. She had a little bit of blood splatter on her clothes from earlier. He helped her into the tub and then got in himself, situating himself behind her. She leaned back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling into her neck.

"Are you ok?" he softly asked.

"Not really," Stella said. "But doing better now." She could feel some of the tension leave her body in the warm water, but having Daryl there was doing more to calm her than any bath. She laced her fingers with his and pulled his arms tighter around her. She turned her head slightly so her cheek was resting against his collarbone.

"Tell me what all happened today," Daryl said, bending down to place a kiss on her shoulder.

Stella told him about the fight between Rick and Pete, how the meeting tonight was to determine whether or not Rick would be allowed to stay in Alexandria and how Pete showed up and killed Reg.

"You obviously caught the tale end of that," Stella said.

"Mmmm," Daryl nodded. "Do you think Rick should've been kicked outta here?"

"I honestly don't know," she said. "Today, when he and Pete were fighting, Rick scared me. He was like a crazed maniac. The look in his eyes was completely feral, like there wasn't a person in there at all. But then tonight, the things he said made sense."

"What about killing Pete?" Daryl asked.

"I'm not gonna lie," Stella began. "It scared the shit out of me. I've never seen another person killed before. But if it had been you lying on the ground instead of Reg, I would've put the bullet in him myself."

Daryl nodded again. He knew his woman was strong. She wasn't naïve to violence. Hell, she did marry into the Dixon family to begin with. He just hated that she had to witness something like that.

"Have you killed anyone?" Stella asked, barely above a whisper. Daryl wasn't sure he had heard her. She felt his body tense up behind her. She knew the answer before he said anything. Daryl thought back to those that he did kill.

"You hafta understand what we went through out there," Daryl began. "We were out there for a really long time, almost too long."

Stella squeezed his hands tighter, encouraging him to continue.

"We had to defend ourselves against some real assholes," he said. "Most of it was all done in self defense."

"Most?" Stella asked turning now to look at him.

Daryl was silent for a moment, thinking about Dawn, the cop that had killed Beth. Yeah, Dawn didn't mean to shoot Beth. It was an accident, but Daryl had no problem pulling the trigger on Dawn.

"Beth, Maggie's sister," Daryl started. "When she died, it was a shock to us all."

Daryl began telling Stella about that day, how they went to the hospital to trade the cops they had as hostages for Beth and Carol. He told her how Dawn insisted that Noah return to her and how Beth stabbed her with a pair of scissors. That's when Dawn shot Beth.

"Seeing that girl's life end right there," Daryl said, choking back his own tears. "I didn't even think. I just pulled the trigger and killed that woman."

Stella could tell he was fighting back the emotions building up inside of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair trying to soothe him.

"It was all my fault anyway," he muffled against Stella's neck. "It was my job to protect her."

Stella pulled back and placed her hands on each side of Daryl's face.

"You listen to me, Daryl Dixon," she said, staring him in the eyes. "It was not your fault, just like it was not your fault that we were separated all this time. Shit happens that we have no control over. And now with the world the way it is now, a lot of bad shit happens. You have got to stop blaming yourself for everything bad that happens."

He pressed his forehead to hers.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said.

They got out of the bathtub, dried each other off and curled up in bed together. They made love that night, staring into each other's eyes the whole time. When sleep finally took over, Daryl was molded around Stella's body, his arm holding her tight against him.


End file.
